Decorative sheet materials of a resinous polymer composition have been made for many years and one of the commonest ways of creating or enhancing the surface decorative effects has been to provide selected portions of the surface of such decorative sheet materials with different types of contrasting finishes or effects, or surface gloss or luster differentials, for example, with smooth, glossy or lustrous surfaces; raised, embossed dead or dull mat surfaces; raised, embossed glossy or lustrous surfaces; smooth, dead or dull mat surfaces; etc., all sharply contrasting with one another to create differential gloss products.
Many methods, including differential mechanical embossing, inlaying, or chemical embossing or etching, and many other methods, have been devised to provide sharply contrasting surface areas but all of such prior art methods or combinations thereof have always left something to be desired. For example, differential mechanical embossing procedures combined with pattern or design printing procedures has always created registration problems and related difficulties. Inlaying procedures and chemical etching methods have normally been more costly and more process-time consuming.